A Bridge In The Storm

chapter one

A/N:
Hey guys!
This is my first Wattpad story, so I hope it doesn't suck too bad... yikes.
So a few things to start-
1. yes, I know that my letters are lowercase, that is on purpose. (I wish I could say it was for some deep poetic reason, but I'm just lazy)
2. I really love comments and any type of feedback
3. thanks for reading!
-p

"you can't punish me for how I feel, dad!"
I screamed into the phone as I marched my way across the Target parking lot. my boots splashed on the the newly wet pavement. the dark sky was permitting a very mild rain, almost a mist, as if it were mocking me. but the cool wind that was blowing across my face made the small drops feel like sand penetrating my skin.
"Blair, I'm not punishing you. but I'm not going to reward you for what you just said to me."
I rolled my eyes and ran my free hand through my hair.
"I already told you I was sorry! and I also said that I only said that because of how stressed out I am right now! why can't you understand that?!"
I allowed for a hot tear to slip past my eyelid and splash onto the collar of my coat, already feeling another forming.
"I bust my ass for you, Blair. and you THANK me by cursing at me! you've been acting really bitchy ever since you came back from your moms last week and I'm sick of it!"
I stopped in my tracks.
"oh so you're allowed to call me a bitch, but the moment I say anything like that to you, you're going to turn off my phone?"
"Blair, I'm not having this conversation with you again. either you stay with me tonight or you can go to your mothers without a phone."
another tear fell down my cheek and I quickly wiped it away when I saw a strange look from a rather large lady across the way.
"dad, you don't understand me at all! mom does! I just need to not be so stressed out all the time and she will make me feel better!"
"Maybe if you communicated with me, I could help you! but until you do, you're staying with me tonight. end of discussion."
I didn't even reply. I quickly pressed end call and slipped my phone into my pocket.
I furiously wiped at my eyes, trying to dry them and failing as I continued to walk into the Target. the automatic doors opened for me and the warm heating soon warmed my freezing hands, but did not heal the pain I was feeling.
I ignored the urge to continue balling my eyes out and grabbed a red basket with the least sticky handle.
the Target was bustling with people.
I had thought a rainy day like today would be the perfect time to get all the small things I needed for the week to come, and apparently so did everyone else. I began to walk my way back to the clothing section, finding myself having much trouble not crying. every time I blinked away a set of tears, I could feel more forming.
my dad shouldn't talk to me that way. he doesn't understand what I've been going through these past few weeks. if he really cared about me, he's let me live at my moms. she always told me I could stay with her whenever... it was my dad keeping me from spending the night with her on nights like this... nights when I felt alone. I took a deep breath as I tried to make the lump in my throat and the tears in my eyes disappear. I closed my eyes briefly to try and clear my head, but I regretted it as soon as I slammed into someone's warm, tall frame. I opened my eyes and looked up immediately.
he had blue eyes. that is all I saw. I couldn't see his hair, his nose, his lips. I couldn't see the people around me. I could barely remember my name as I stared into his eyes. they captivated me. I'd never seen blue eyes with golden specks in them... did all blue eyes have that? why did his eyes make me feel like I was drowning? why did the simple blink of his eyes feel like a breath of fresh air? why couldn't I feel anything else but his stare? why were his eyes opened wide into a shocked expression? then I remembered I had just slammed into him. I took a step back, just now noticing his large arms had just been there, steadying me.
I looked at him from a further distance now, trying not to fall under the spell of those eyes once more, I looked at his other features. he had blonde hair. it was wet and falling down on his forehead and little droplets were beginning the slide down his very flushed cheeks. he was very tall. his height almost a foot over mine. he was slender, but not too much so. he had a small nose with very light freckles dotting across it. the kind of freckles you wouldn't see if you weren't looking for them. he was dressed in a plain, black t shirt with a dark green, oversized hoodie over it. his jeans were dark and tight and his tennis shoes were black. if I hadn't seen his eyes, I would've said everything about him seemed dark.
his face shown a shocked expression and his mouth was slightly agape. I realize now that I must have been staring and quickly snapped my gaze away from him, trying not to look him in the eyes again.
"im so sorry" I said,
"I didn't see where I was going."
the stranger pulled a hand through his hair and tugged at it slightly,
"no it's okay. my fault" he mumbled. I nodded and began to walk away, not even looking at him once.
about ten seconds later, I heard someone's shoes tapping on the cold, hard floor and then he was beside me,
"hey are you crying?" he asked me.
I looked at him, but not in his eyes. I stared at his chest, which worked since it was about my eye level.
"uh no" I replied, wiping at my eyes again. I hadn't even noticed that tears were still staining my cheeks.
"what happened? are you okay?" he said, placing his hand on my arm. I glanced at his large hand touching the cloth of my coat. I could feel the warmth of his hand through the jacket and I wanted nothing more than for him to press his warm hand to my cold one. he wore a golden ring on his middle finger. it had no engraving or stone. it was a simple gold band. I wanted to ask him where he got it. I wanted to ask him who he was. I wanted...
"I-I'm fine." I said, still not meeting his eyes, my voice was shaking, having trouble staying steady.
"are you sure? do you want me to call someone for you? are you here alone? can I do anything?" he asked me more questions than I could comprehend to I went with a universal answer.
"no." I stated.
but being me, I couldn't keep my voice from breaking for even one word. soon I was being pulled into the stranger's arms. I stood still, not returning the hug he was giving me. his arms were strong and so so warm. I felt like I was on fire. and not just on the surface, inside too. everything was burning. I did nothing.
he pulled back awkwardly.
"I'm so sorry." he said, clearly embarrassed. his already pink cheeks were flushed red. I still did not look into his eyes,
"it's just, my mom always could make me feel better with a hug. she told me that a hug could cure any hurt or any pain... I didn't like how you looked when you were so sad... so I just...argh" he said, running his slender fingers through his hair again.
I looked away from his face and to anything else. I was standing next to the school supplies section. there were a few scattered families looking throughout the bare shelves for anything they might need. the back to school sale had recently ended. one stubby mother was trying desperately to reach something on a tall shelf.
the stranger followed my gaze and saw the woman.
soon his presence was gone and replaced once again with cold loneliness. I watched curiously as he reached to the tall shelf and grabbed the item for the woman. she took it without saying thank you and then paddled away with her obese child. The stranger shrugged to himself and then turned his attention back to me. I felt vulnerable under his gaze, but I still did not look into his eyes. I was too afraid he would be able to see what their deep color did to me.
"are you sure you're okay?" he asked me. although I don't remember saying I was fine at all.
"yeah..." I replied, "I'll be alright, I guess". that was the most that I had said to him all at once. he didn't smile or acknowledge what I had said. I wondered if he was looking into my eyes, but I was too scared to even check. we stood, unmoving for a few seconds until he bent down to my eye level and tried to look at my face clearer.
"you don't look fine..." he said, "do you want to talk about it?"
I furrowed my eyebrows at him. why would I want to talk to a complete stranger about why I was crying in a target?
I violently shook my head at him, staring at his black, worn sneakers that were tapping lightly on the hard floor as if he was high on caffeine or something.
"...okay" he said twirling his thumbs together.
I coughed and let out a soft breath.
I wanted to tell him that this was the part where he was supposed to walk away. but maybe he wanted to say that to me as well. yeah... probably.
I turned on my heel and walked in the other direction awkwardly without so much as a goodbye. half of me expected- or hoped- that the kind stranger would follow me. but the rational, realistic half of me knew that in the real world, people come and go and it would be redundant to hope otherwise.
I sighed and made my way to the bathroom to wash my face. I didn't want everyone to know I had been crying. I didn't think it was that noticeable. I didn't think anyone would have seen the sadness unless they were really looking.. then again... maybe he was looking, but I was too scared to even attempt to find out.